Nail or spike drawing device.



No. 65I,629. Patentedlune I2, 1900. J. [JORDAN R. E. HALSTEAD. NAIL on' 'SPIKE nAwvlNG nEvmE.

' (Applicatinn Bled Har. 15, 1900.)

(No Model.)

22 w A? Mem/kozi? -4 JEJMM ggf/MM ym mmwj- UNITED STATES PATENT trice.I

JOHN F. JORDAN AND ROBERT E. HALSTEAD, OF VISALA, CALIFORNIA.

NAIL on sPIK DRAWING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming -part of Letters Patent No. 651,629, dated June v12, 1900.

' Atpiioaio'n tied Marti 15.1000. serial No. 8,790. (No mode-,IJ

To all whom t may concern:

. Be it known that we, JOHN F. JORDAN and ROBERT E. HALsTEAD, citizens of the United States, residing at Visalia, in the county of Tulare and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nail or Spike Drawing Devices; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to nail-drawing or spike-drawing devices design edfor use in counection with the ordinary claw-hammer coinmoniy used by carpenters and others in withdrawing driven or partly-driven nails and spikes; and our invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts of our improved nailand spike drawingdevice, as hereinafter fully described'and claimed.

In the drawings hereto annexed and forming part of this specification, Figure l is a view in side elevation of an ordinary clawhammer head provided with our improved handle for converting the complete hammer into a convenient and quite powerful nail and spike drawing device. Fig, 2 is a plan view of `what we term for convenience the lower half of the longitudinally-splithandle of the improved nail and spike 'drawing device. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the upper half of the longitudinally-split handle of said nail and spike drawing device. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the lower half of the split handle, showing the spring actuated plunger, its hinged foot rest or plate, its enlarged head provided with the integral arrow-head, the` spring-actuated holding and releasing rod having its longitudinally-split portion formed into spring-arms provided on the inner faces of their outwardly-curved ends with bevelface retaining and releasing shoulders, the metal plunger-guides, and the metal stops for the shoulders of the enlarged head of said plunger-rod. Fig. 5 is a side view ofthe spring-actuated plunger-rod removed from its seat in the split handle and showing the integral dog on the lower face of said enlarged head for normally engaging the teeth 5o of a ratchet-plate secured in the groove in the lower half of said split handle.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the longitudinallysplit handle,and 2 the claw-hammer head lixed thereon in the usual manner.

3 is a longitudinal groove in the lower half 1L of the hamIner-handle, said groove 3 being provided near its upper termination with an enlargement 4, forming a half-seat for the collar 5 and encircling spring G near the up- Vper end ofthe partially-split retainingand re- `the enlarged head 15 onthe plunger'lG. 17

is a spreader rising .vertically from an enlargement 18 of the groove 3 and projecting between the, curved portions of the springarms S 9 to spread said jaws when said rod 7 is pushed inwardly in the handle, and thereby release the spring-actuated plunger 19 in the lowerportioneof said groove 3. Immediate'ly below the enlargement 1S in said groove 3 is atoothed rack`20, the faces of the teeth of said rack 2O being beveled inwardly or toward the head 15 of the plunger-rod 22 and being bounded by plain lower faces, so that when in engagement with the integral dog 23 on the lower face of the enlarged head 15 of the plunger-rod 22 of said plunger 16 the latter will be held normally in engage- Inent with said rack 20 until released in a manner hereinafter explained. Immediately below the lower end of the toothed rack 20 guide-arms or wear-arms 24 are provided in the groove 3, against which the plunger-rod slides when operated. Slightly below the wear-arms 24 are provided stop-arms 25,

`against which the upper end of the spiral -spring 26, which'encircles the upper portion 27 of the plunger-rod 22, abuts. The lower end of said spiral spring 26 abuts against an integral collar 2S on said plunger-rod 22 near its middle portion, said collar 28 when said spring 26 is expanded bearing against shoulders 29 at the lower end of said groove 3 near the lower end of the half-handle la.

The half-handle 2 is provided with a lon- IOO gitudinal groove 3a, similar in most respects throughout to the longitudinal groove 3, with these exceptions-viz. instead of the spreader 17 it is provided with aseat 30 for the reception of the point of said spreader, and at a point opposite the toothed rack 20 in the halfhandle l said half-handle 2 is provided with a longitudinal auxiliary groove 3l, in which near the middle of said auxiliary groove 3l is secured a flat curved spring 32, which normally presses against the enlarged head of the plunger-rod and pushes it into engagement with the teeth of the toothed rack 20; but by bearing downwardly on the outer projected end of the plunger-rod the spring 32 will yield to pressure and will permit the dog` on the enlarged head of the plu nger-rod to be raised out of engagement with the teeth of the rack 20, thereby permitting the plunger rod to be pushed inwardly in its seat in the handle until the arrow-head at its upper end is forced between the retainingjaws of the springarms S and 9 of the retaining and releasing rod 7, from which it may be again released by pressing upon the projecting end of the retaining and releasing rod 7 The lower end of the plunger-rod 22 projects slightly beyond the lower end of the split handle and is provided with a hinged foot or rest 33, which when the device is in use rests upon the floor or other surface from which the driven nail or spike is to be removed and serves as the fulcrum for the nail-drawing or spike-drawing device and enables the operator to remove the nail or spike with but little effort and very conveniently, as the implement is always at hand when the hammer is being used. The two parts of the split handle are connected by dowel-pins or in like manner.

Although we have described our device in the best form known to us, it is obvious that many changes might be made in the construction without departing from the character of the invention, and we do not therefore limit ourselves to the precise construction herein described and illustrated.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. A nail or spike drawing device, comprising a claw-hammer head and a split handle secured therein and provided with a springactuated rod having holding and releasing jaws; a spreading-pin between said holding and releasing jaws; a toothed rack secured in a groove of said split handle; a pressurespring in the opposite groove of said split handle; a spring-actuated plunger-rod located in said split handle and provided with an enlargement on its inner end; an integral arrowhead and an engaging dog on said enlargement; a `pressure foot or plate hinged to Jthe lower projecting end of said plungeraod; a toothed rack in said split handle in engagement with said engaging dog; and a pressurespring in the opposing groove of said split handle for normally pressing said engaging dog into contact with one of the teeth of said toothed rack; substantially as specified.

2. In a nail or spike drawing device, the combination with a claw-hammer head of the internally grooved split handle having, a toothed rack and a pressure-spring in opposite grooves of its split portions; the springactuated plunger-rod provided with a shoulder or head having a dog or tooth in engagement with a tooth of said toothed rack; and a pressure foot or plate hinged to the projecting lower end of said spring-actuated plunger-rod, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN F. JORDAN. R. E. HALSTEAD. `Vitnesses:

E. SroUsLAND, ED. HALSTEAD. 

